The Department of Homeland Security decision, announced last night, to withdraw Temporary Protected Status (TPS) from some 2,500 immigrants from Nicaragua is heartless and wrong. Most of these immigrants have been living in the United States for nearly 20 years and have children who were born here and are U.S. citizens. Tearing apart families is never, ever acceptable.
 
We are also deeply disappointed by the Department’s decision to keep some 57,000 Honduran immigrants and their 53,000 U.S. citizen children in limbo for six months. The Department is asking them to undergo yet another set of background checks with no guarantee that they will be able to stay in the country for more than six months. These families have contributed tremendously to our country and they deserve the security of knowing they can continue to live here.
 
TPS recipients are our friends and neighbors. They are business owners, caregivers and contributors to our economy and our communities. We urge the Department of Homeland Security to extend TPS for these immigrants, as well as those from El Salvador and Haiti. Anything less would be yet another inhumane, counterproductive attack on immigrants and an unnecessary jolt to our communities and our economy — and it would cause further turmoil in the world.
 
We call on the Trump administration to rescind last night’s decision and to also extend TPS for immigrants from El Salvador and Haiti, so vulnerable people will be safe and families can remain intact. If the administration refuses to do so, Congress should act quickly and in a bipartisan way to pass a permanent solution so no more families will be uprooted and/or separated.
 
America’s moms do not want to tear families apart or to turn our backs on those who have found safety from disaster and genocide here.

Reporters: View this as a statement in our newsroom.